I have to give Elizabeth Liang a lot of credit and respect for creating an intimate and raw telling of her life story.  This show was an ultimate display of negative capability — the willingness to embrace uncertainty, live with mystery, and make peace with ambiguity.  Elizabeth puts herself out there, both literally and figuratively, for all to see, judge and criticize, all without so much as batting an eye.

Alien Citizen‘s story shouldn’t be a shocker to most people who embrace more than one culture or have a “-American” after their ethnic claim, but it’s Elizabeth’s performance that really stands out.  Her ability to tap into her emotions at a moment’s notice and bring forward a truthful and deep meaning to her words is something to be experienced.  You can do nothing but hang on as Elizabeth takes you on an emotional roller coaster through her life around the world.

From the outside looking in, the story of Elizabeth’s life seemed quite exciting and interesting, having lived in places like Guatemala, Morocco and Egypt.  She chooses a rather teen angst-y approach to the telling of her story, with seeming complaint after complaint of how her life in an exotic locale pushed her passed her comfort zone with a steep learning curve, but thankfully comes around full circle with an adult revelation: you are the sum of your experiences and that’s what makes you special.

All in all, Alien Citizen is a fantastic professional and personal accomplishment from a talented and passionate performer.

Elizabeth Liang’s Alien Citizen runs Fridays and Saturdays through June 1st, 2013 at the Asylum Lab in Los Angeles.  Go HERE for more information and to purchase tickets for Alien Citizen.

~ Andrew Chen, AOF Staff Writer and proud “-American”

SUPAH NINJAS PETITION

We sat down with Ryan Potter to talk about the show and perhaps continuing the story of SUPAH NINJAS!

Created by Leo Chu and Eric Garcia the series premiered as a special preview on Nickelodeon on January 17, 2011 and revolves around Mike Fukanaga and his friends, Owen and Amanda. After the death of his grandfather, Mike is given a mysterious letter which leads him to discover that he comes from a long line of vigilante ninjas. With Owen, and later Amanda, they are ushered into the world of crime-fighting, forming the team “Supah Ninjas.” They are trained with a hologram of Mike’s grandfather, whom Owen refers to as “Hologramps” in Empire City.

The following interviews are a bit different than the ones you’re used to seeing on Asians On Film, especially with yours truly being thrown in front of the camera, armed with only a microphone and my wit (or lack there of).  I hope you enjoy the end results.  Hit the jump below for a plethora of fun and insightful interviews from the 2013 L.A. Asian Pacific Film Festival!

—–

CHINK – Interview with Jason Tobin and Eugenia Yuan

LINSANITY – Interview with Evan Jackson Leong

YELLOWFACE – Interview with Jeff Liu

ABIGAIL HARM – Interview with Lee Isaac Chung and Tetsuo Kuramochi

SAKE-BOMB – Interview with Juniya Sakino and Eugene Kim

HARANA – Interview with Florante Aguilar

A FLICKER IN ETERNITY – Interview with Sharon Yamato

WHAT ISN’T THERE – Interview with Marie Jamora

WILL YOU STILL LOVE ME TOMORROW? – Interview with Arvin Chen

CHINK – Interview with Stanley Yung

JAKE SHIMABUKURO: LIFE ON FOUR STRINGS – Interview with Tad Nakamura

~ Andrew Chen, AOF Staff Writer and microphone hog

1. A rounded mark or stain.
2. A small blemish on the skin.
3. Something that mars one’s character.

You quickly check your friend’s shirt and find no stains. You scan their face and find nothing obvious. Then it hits you, you friend’s reputation just went south. You get a cold chill and then think, “It can’t be true” since your friend is excited, so it must be about their new dog, SPOT! You smile just as your friend blurts out, “No! It’s a new spin on sweet in Manhattan’s East Village and Koreatown.” Hence is born definition #5 (after “the name of a pet”), SPOT DESSERT BAR.

SPOT DESSERT BAR is cozy, friendly, and a great meeting spot and of course it is full of unique Asian influenced desserts (like the amazing Green Tea Lava Cake) that hit the spot. It’s a dessert bar like no other that’s home to a whole new world of taste where traditional confections are re-imagined and spiked with a healthy dose of Asian flare. Thanks to unique ingredients like Green Tea, Kabocha, Yuzu and more, the desserts pack innovative flavors and unexpected benefits in every bite. That’s what Asians On Film found out on a recent trip to NYC, so we begged General Manager Mark Lee to treat all AOF readers as special guests. Thanks to Mark Lee, those in NYC or visiting NYC, who stop into SPOT DESSERT BAR, at 13 St. Marks Place (East Village) or 11 West 32nd Street (Koreatown) and simply ask your server for the AOF discount, will receive 10% off any seasonal dessert tapas now through the end of May!

Yes, we are off topic of the Asian American film industry for this brief moment, but Actors and Directors need to eat so we feel it’s justified!

Ask your server for the AOF DISCOUNT and receive 10% off any seasonal dessert tapas through the end of May!